Thai consumers’ behaviour using video streaming platform during COVID-19 pandemic: a comparative analysis of Netflix and Viu

The development of new technologies, which has involved the shift from traditional analogue technologies to digital ones, has greatly changed consumers’ viewing behaviour. The growth of Over-The-Top (OTT) technology has increased due to emerging varieties of digital OTT platforms and improved internet service provisions. The use of OTT services or video streaming platforms is one of the activities on which people are now spending a significant proportion of their time, on average around three hours a day. In 2020, consumers’ behaviour worldwide changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of COVID-19 has greatly affected lifestyles and consumers’ behaviour. In addition, physical distancing measures and lockdown measures used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have forced people to stay at home instead of undertaking social activities such as going to concerts and cinemas. This study examines Thai consumers’ characteristics and behaviour when using video streaming platforms during both the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 pandemic periods. The analysis uses data obtained from online questionnaires to compare users’ behaviour between two types of platforms: (1) paid-subscription-based and (2) non-paid-subscription-based video streaming platforms. Specifically, it focuses on the two main video streaming platforms used most by Thais, namely Netflix and Viu. Netflix is a paid-subscription-based video streaming platform, while Viu is a non-paid-subscription-based video streaming platform. The study identifies consumers’ behaviour using video streaming platforms by comparing Netflix and Viu users during Pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19. The result collected from 470 respondents from four groups of respondents consist of: (1) users who use only Netflix, (2) users who use only Viu, (3) users who use both Netflix and Viu, and (4) users who neither use Netflix nor Viu. The result shows that during the Pre-COVID-19 people has already subscribed Netflix and Viu but during the COVID-19 pandemic, people have the condition to stay more at home which is one of the reasons that affect an increasing number of subscriptions and use more frequently. The result also shows that respondents mostly choose the mobile as a device for watching video content and mostly has similar consuming behaviour. Other variables such as marketing mix strategy focuses on 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) influence users to use more video streaming services as well, and it is proposed that the results of this research could be useful for OTT services marketers and researchers to better understand OTT consumers’ preferences.